The Lazuri Alphabet

Q: What is the difference between "Laz" and "Lazuri"?

"Lazuri" and "Laz" are two names for exactly the same language [3] . "Laz" is the name used by outsiders and in European languages. "Lazuri" (ლაზური) is the self-name used by the speakers themselves — in Laz/Lazuri, the language is called "Lazuri" and the people "Lazi." The alphabet, grammar, and ISO code (lzz) are identical for both names. Using "Lazuri" simply reflects the perspective of native speakers rather than external naming conventions.

Q: What script does Lazuri use?

Lazuri uses two scripts depending on location [4] . In Georgia , Lazuri is written using the Georgian Mkhedruli script. In Turkey , where a large proportion of Lazuri/Laz speakers live, a Latin-based alphabet has been developed with additional characters (ç, ş, ğ, ž, and others) for sounds not found in Turkish. This is the same situation regardless of whether you call the language "Laz" or "Lazuri" — the name does not change the writing system used.

Q: What language family is Lazuri in?

Lazuri (Laz) belongs to the Kartvelian (South Caucasian) language family [1] . More specifically, it forms the Zan branch of Kartvelian alongside Megrelian. The Kartvelian family is indigenous to the Caucasus and has no established relationship to any other language family. The ISO 639-3 code lzz identifies this language regardless of whether it is called Laz or Lazuri.

Q: How many people speak Lazuri?

Lazuri (Laz) is spoken by approximately 220,000 to 500,000 people [1] , primarily along the eastern Black Sea coast in Turkey and in the Adjara region of Georgia. Despite the large number of speakers, the language is considered endangered because Turkish and Georgian dominate in all formal domains — education, government, and media — in the respective countries. Community language programs and digital resources using both "Laz" and "Lazuri" as names for the language are working to support its continued use [3] .

Q: How is Lazuri related to Megrelian?

Lazuri and Megrelian are sister languages within the Zan branch of Kartvelian [2] . They share many structural features including the three-way consonant distinction (voiced, aspirated, ejective) and a vigesimal counting system. They differ in vocabulary, specific phonological developments, and morphology, and are not mutually intelligible without study, having diverged thousands of years ago. Megrelian adds a 6th vowel ჷ (schwa) not found in Lazuri/Laz, which is one of the visible alphabetic differences between the two languages.

Q: What is the ISO code for Lazuri?

The ISO 639-3 code for Lazuri is lzz [3] — the same code used for "Laz," since they are the same language. The Glottolog identifier is lazz1240 . Neither "Laz" nor "Lazuri" has an ISO 639-1 two-letter code, which is typical for minority and endangered languages. The single ISO code lzz covers all speakers of this Zan Kartvelian language regardless of whether they refer to their language as "Laz" or "Lazuri."

Lazuri Alphabet at a Glance

"Lazuri" (ლაზური) is the native Laz name for the Laz language — what outsiders call "Laz," speakers call "Lazuri." The script and alphabet are identical to Laz. ^[3]
Lazuri/Laz uses the Georgian Mkhedruli script in Georgia — the same 33-letter alphabet used for Georgian, adapted for Laz/Lazuri phonology ^[4]
Spoken by approximately 220,000–500,000 people along the eastern Black Sea coast in both Georgia and northeastern Turkey ^[1]
Lazuri belongs to the Zan branch of the Kartvelian (South Caucasian) family alongside Megrelian — the two are more closely related to each other than either is to Georgian ^[2]
In Turkey, many Lazuri speakers write using a Latin-based alphabet with characters like ç, ş, ğ, ž — while in Georgia, the Georgian script is the standard ^[3]
The ISO 639-3 code lzz covers both the name "Laz" and "Lazuri" — they are the same language ^[3]
Lazuri is considered endangered in both Turkey and Georgia, despite having hundreds of thousands of speakers — the dominant surrounding languages (Turkish, Georgian) are used in all formal contexts ^[1]

Lazuri Vowel Letters

Lazuri has 5 vowels: ა (a), ე (e), ი (i), ო (o), უ (u) — the same vowels as Georgian. Unlike Megrelian (its closest relative), Lazuri does not have the schwa vowel ჷ. Both Mtavruli (capital) and Mkhedruli (standard) forms are shown below.

"Lazuri" and "Laz" refer to exactly the same language and the same vowel system. Using the self-name "Lazuri" simply reflects the way speakers themselves refer to their language in their own tongue.

Laz Vowels (Mtavruli — Capital Form)

Ა

[AH]

Ე

[EH]

Ი

[EE]

Ო

[OH]

Უ

[OO]

Laz Vowels (Mkhedruli — Standard Form)

ა

[ah]

ე

[eh]

ი

[ee]

ო

[oh]

უ

[oo]

Lazuri Consonant Letters

Lazuri uses the full set of 28 Georgian consonants, including the ejective stops (კ k', პ p', ტ t', ყ q') and ejective affricates (წ ts', ჭ ch'). The three-way distinction between voiced, aspirated, and ejective consonants is a hallmark of the Kartvelian language family.

The consonant system of Lazuri/Laz is the same as that of Georgian when written in the Georgian script in Georgia. In the Latin-based script used in Turkey, additional characters represent sounds influenced by Turkish phonology.

Laz Consonants (Mtavruli — Capital Form)

Ბ

[B]

Გ

[G]

Დ

[D]

Ვ

[V]

Ზ

[Z]

Თ

[TH]

Კ

[K']

Ლ

[L]

Მ

[M]

Ნ

[N]

Პ

[P']

Ჟ

[ZH]

Რ

[R]

Ს

[S]

Ტ

[T']

Ფ

[F/PH]

Ქ

[KH]

Ღ

[GH]

Ყ

[Q']

Შ

[SH]

Ჩ

[CH]

Ც

[TS]

Ძ

[DZ]

Წ

[TS']

Ჭ

[CH']

Ხ

[KH]

Ჯ

[J]

Ჰ

[H]

Laz Consonants (Mkhedruli — Standard Form)

ბ

[b]

გ

[g]

დ

[d]

ვ

[v]

ზ

[z]

თ

[th]

კ

[k']

ლ

[l]

მ

[m]

ნ

[n]

პ

[p']

ჟ

[zh]

რ

[r]

ს

[s]

ტ

[t']

ფ

[f]

ქ

[kh]

ღ

[gh]

ყ

[q']

შ

[sh]

ჩ

[ch]

ც

[ts]

ძ

[dz]

წ

[ts']

ჭ

[ch']

ხ

[kh]

ჯ

[j]

ჰ

[h]

ვ̂

[w]

ნ̆

[ng]

ა

ბ

გ

დ

ე

ვ

ზ

თ

ი

კ

ლ

მ

ნ

ო

პ

ჟ

რ

ს

ტ

უ

ფ

ქ

ღ

ყ

შ

ჩ

ც

ძ

წ

ჭ

ხ

ჯ

ჰ

[nuli]

[arti]

[juri]

[sumi]

[othi]

[khuti]

[ashi]

[shkviti]

[ovro]

[ochxori]

[vit]

[vitibi]

[nuli]

Zero — Laz: ნული (nuli); borrowed term used in modern Laz

[arti]

One — Laz: არti (arti); related to Georgian ერthი (erti)

[juri]

Two — Laz: ჯური (juri)

[sumi]

Three — Laz: სუმი (sumi)

[othi]

Four — Laz: ოthი (othi)

[khuti]

Five — Laz: ხუthი (khuti)

[ashi]

Six — Laz: ასhი (ashi); Zan root distinct from Georgian ექვსი (ekvsi)

[shkviti]

Seven — Laz: შქვიthი (shkviti); Zan cognate of Georgian შვიდი (shvidi)

[ovro]

Eight — Laz: ოვრო (ovro); Zan cognate of Georgian რვა (rva)

[ochxori]

Nine — Laz: ოჩხhორhი (ochxori); Zan cognate of Georgian ცხრა (tsxra)

[vit]

Ten — Laz: ვit (vit)

[vitibi]

Twenty — Laz: ვიthiბი (vitibi); Laz uses a vigesimal (base-20) counting system

Expand All Collapse All

What is the difference between "Laz" and "Lazuri"?

What script does Lazuri use?

What language family is Lazuri in?

How many people speak Lazuri?

How is Lazuri related to Megrelian?

What is the ISO code for Lazuri?

References:

[1] Glottolog 5.1. "Laz [lazz1240]". Retrieved from Glottolog: Laz
[2] World Atlas of Language Structures (WALS). "Laz [laz]". Retrieved from WALS: Laz
[3] ISO 639-3 Registration Authority (SIL International). "ISO 639-3 Language Code: lzz — Laz". Retrieved from ISO 639-3: lzz
[4] The Unicode Consortium. "Georgian Unicode Block — U10A0 Chart". Retrieved from Unicode: Georgian Script Chart